Of course, the National Park Service also faces major problems, including that all these new monuments do not come with additional funding and there is a ridiculous backlog of basic maintenance projects that is forcing the agency to seek corporate funding and therefore sponsorship, which is a form of pollution. But who can blame them? Another major issue is of course climate change, where the parks are having to adapt to rapid changes in often very sensitive locations. The parks are trying to educate the public about climate change, despite continued hostility from Republicans who refuse to fund any of it. They are also making infrastructure changes where they can, especially in coastal regions. That’s going to be a continued struggle. Maybe someday Congress will actually properly fund the agency again.

Even with those problems, the national parks are also national treasures and it’s exciting to see President Obama so proactive in creating new ones, protecting American lands and telling American historical stories for the future.

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Of course, the National Park Service also faces major problems, including that all these new monuments do not come with additional funding and there is a ridiculous backlog of basic maintenance projects

It baffles me that “pro-business” republicans look at tourists and outdoor recreators flocking to national parks and USFS lands and think, “this is awful.” They really have a horrible record when it comes to public land and failing to see how dollars flow.

Yellowstone is a bit of an outlier, but holy christ what a money making racket they have there.

The Adirondacks are a state park, but getting any extra money for rangers and park staff is like pulling teeth. Meanwhile, the state is happy to spend piles of money on advertising to draw more and more tourists who shit on the side of trails and dump trash everywhere.

GeorgeBurnsWasRight

You’re not looking at it the way business does.

If the for-profits companies ran Yellowstone, for example, there would be lots of high-end hotels and the admission fee would soar the way DisneyWorld’s has. And probably there’d be amusement park rides. Certainly several casinos. And glitzy shows celebrating the glories of nature so that people never needed to even leave the hotel for their Park experience.

Off in the remote areas there would be mining plus who needs trees in the parts that nobody sees, so call the lumberjacks in.

so-in-so

I see a CEO position in SOMEBODY’S future…

Well, if you keep the plans more quiet.

NeonTrotsky

Owyhee Canyonlands would be another good one, would really tick off the sovereign citizen types too

Don’t forget how hard it seems to be to protect Bears Ears because it might infringe on the right of some Bundyesque yahoos to steal priceless cultural artifacts.

Jackov

I purchase an annual pass every year though I am lucky
if I make it to a single park. Hopefully, the “extra” $60
helps delay Death Valley NP sponsored by Arrowhead and
Amazon’s Olympic National Park for a few more years.

(((Malaclypse)))

By fortuitous coincidence, mini-Mal and I are spending the week camping in Acadia, so Thanks, Obama!